Chapter 41
AN: Thank you for the support. I hope that you have a happy and safe Christmas if you celebrate and if you don't I hope you have a good few day. Thank you so much for the support.
For ten days Albus has been sitting by his daughter's side, apart from when he went to have a shower, he hasn't left his daughters side, despite others trying to encouraging him to something which almost caused a fight between him and Aberforth. It is the middle of the night and Albus, Gellert and Aberforth are the only people sitting around Mie's bed, and just like he has been doing entire time she's been unconscious Albus has been holding her hand. As Albus has been waiting for Mie to wake up for so long for a second he is sure he is imaging it when he feels her hand twitch.
"Annemie?" Albus asks, leaning forward, hoping that this is going to be it, the moment he has been waiting for.
"Albus?" Aberforth and Gellert ask, both feeling confused about what is going on.
"I felt her hand twitch," Albus explains, without looking away from Mie. "Annemie, can you hear me? If you can hear me, open your eyes," Albus pleads.
"Dad," Mie says, in a weak voice, as she opens her eyes, feeling that she is a lot weaker back in the real world rather than the between place where she was with Harry.
"Get Madam Pomfrey," Albus says, not even looking at Gellert and Aberforth, and Aberforth runs to get her as Gellert stands up and moves closer to the bed.
"Annemie, how do you feel?" Albus asks concerned.
"Tired," Mie admits, as her eyes flicker open and close. "I'm okay," Mie assures her father, and in response Albus leans forward and gently hugs her, a hug which Mie returns. As Mie hugs her father, she feels the same safety she felt when she was with Harry, she feels the love her father feels for her.
"Mie?" Madam Pomfrey says, hurrying over with Aberforth, and Albus and Mie break apart.
"Hi," Mie says to Poppy.
"I'm glad to see you awake," Poppy says, though she is also amazed as she truly believed that Mie wasn't going to be okay. "I would like to first run some tests to make sure you're okay," Poppy says and Mie nods.
Over the next few minutes Poppy performs tests to check on Mie and make sure that she is okay, and as Poppy runs her tense the tension in the hospital wing is clear as everyone worries about what the tests are going to show.
"Is Annemie okay?" Albus asks concerned, needing her to be okay.
"Yes," Poppy answers. "Mie, you're likely going to feel weak for a few days. Your nervous system is still healing, and is going to be vulnerable in the future, I would like you to stay here for at least four days," Poppy says as she wants to observe Mie to make sure she is okay, and she also knows that there is a conversation they must have at some point, but now is not the time.
Hearing that Mie looks at Albus, clearly about to ask if she has to do that, as she is hoping that he can overrule that.
"Yes, you have to stay here until Poppy says you can go," Albus tells Mie as he isn't going to risk her being allowed to leave the Hospital Wing before she is ready.
"Okay," Mie says, realising, from the look on Albus's face, that there is no way she is going to be allowed to leave the hospital wing before she is ready.
"I'll be in my office if you need anything," Poppy says, looking between Mie and Albus.
"Thank you," Mie and Albus say together and Poppy heads back to her office.
Looking around Mie sees that her dad, Grindelwald and Uncle are all sitting around her bed, and judging by the night sky that can be seen out of the window it is pretty late, or early she isn't sure which.
"Hi Uncle Ab…. Grindelwald," Mie says, and Grindelwald nods in response.
"I'm glad you're awake," Aberforth says to his niece.
"You said you're tired. How do you feel? Are you in any pain?" Albus asks concerned.
"I'm okay," Mie says, though it is clear that she is still feeling weak, and she can't help but thinking about where she just came from, and how there is a piece of her that would like to go back.
"Annemie, what is it?" Albus asks concerned, noticing the look on her face.
"I went to my version of Kings Cross," Mie tells Albus, and while he understands exactly what that means it is clear that both Aberforth and Grindelwald are confused, and neither Mie nor Albus are going to explain. "It wasn't easy to leave," Mie admits.
In response Albus just hugs Mie and hugs her as he knows that there is nothing, he can say to help Mie with that, but he will just continue to be there for her, though he also knows it is something they will talk about more at some point, but now is not that time.
"I love you," Mie tells her father.
"I love you too," Albus tells his daughter as the two of them break apart, and as they do Albus can tell that Mie is still weak and tired. "Annemie, why don't you get some rest," Albus says, pushing Mie's hair out of her face, and Mie gives a nod. "I'll be right here," Albus promises his daughter.
"Me too," Aberforth says from where he is sitting.
"Okay," Mie says, and she closes her eyes again. Within moments Mie is fast asleep once more.
"Albus, she's okay," Gellert tells his love in a reassuring tone of voice.
"She's okay," Albus repeats, almost like she cannot believe the words, and he, Gellert and Aberforth once more drift into silence, it being clear that they are all feeling relief.
A few hours after she woke up Mie once again wakes up. This time when she opens her eyes Mie doesn't feel as weak, though she knows she isn't completely well, but she does feel stronger, and she is more aware of her surroundings.
As she wakes up the first thing Mie realises is that even though her father is still holding her hand, he is fast asleep, just like her uncle, and the second she realises is that through the window that is behind where Grindelwald is sitting wide awake the first rays of light are shinning though.
"Has he slept much?" Mie asks Grindelwald in a quiet voice being sure that he realised the second she is awake, as she looks towards where her father is asleep in the chair next to her.
"I believe this is the first time," Gellert admits, and even though he tries to hide it after growing up in an environment where she needed to understand what was going on with the people around her to protect herself, Mie can hear the concern that his hidden in his words.
"Then I'm not going to wake him up," Mie admits, though she also suspects that after that long without sleep it won't be easy for Albus to wake up, and she can't help but feel guilty for that, but she doesn't give that away. "Thank you, for what you did back at Voldemort's base," Mie says to Grindelwald, still speaking quietly, as even considering everything she feels, how uncertain she feels about a lot of things related to Grindelwald, that that is something that she needs to thank him for.
"You don't need to thank me, I just did what I promised I would do," Gellert responds, like Mie he suspects that Albus won't be woken up by them talking, though he isn't sure that the same can be said about Aberforth. "You're surprised by that," Gellert realises, and Mie realises that she isn't the only one who can see what people often try to hide, though unlike her it is clear that Gellert trusts that skill a lot more than she ever has.
"Dads told you where I'm from," Mie says, it being a statement and not a question, and Gellert nods. "So, I have an interesting perspective, I know what the history books say about you, I know your future, I know how Dad sees you, and I know what Uncle Ab thinks of you," Mie tells Gellert. "It's hard to make sense of all that," Mie admits, deciding that honestly is best right now.
"You don't know what to think," Gellert realise, feeling that it must be complicated to know as much as Mie does.
"I know what to think, knowing how to feel is more complicated," Mie admits.
"I understand," Gellert responds, and Mie isn't so sure about that. "You sacrificed a lot by coming here," Gellert says as while he doesn't completely know everything, he knows that.
"I wouldn't call it sacrificing, I just knew I needed to do what I needed to make everything better," Mie admits.
"You already have," Gellert says, glancing at Albus, which Mie notices and she realises that that is the perfect lead in to the conversation that she knows they have to have.
"Where I come from, Dad was alone from when you left Godric's Hollow until the day he died," Mie tells Gellert, having noticed the look, and she can see the look of pain pass over his face as she says Albus died, but because she wants to say this before Albus or Aberforth wake up Mie doesn't give Gellert a chance to dwell on his grief. "He was a leader, a hero, the greatest wizard to ever live, ultimately one of the key reasons the war was won, but he kept everyone at a distance even those who cared about him," Mie explains, knowing that Dumbledore's plans lead to everything that happened, and she can tell that Gellert is listening to everything she is saying. "He cared, but he wouldn't admit that. I think everything that happened with you, and everything that is happening with Voldemort, everything that did happen in my timeline because of Voldemort that we're trying to prevent, made him decide that the best way to win the war, to try and protect the people he did care about was to keep them at a distance. He made the decision to put his plan in motions without thinking beyond the logic, without considering the human impact," Mie explains, and she can almost see Gellert's mind turning. "He would say love was the most powerful magic, but he wouldn't let himself feel love; I don't want that for him this time," Mie tells Gellert, showing how protective she is of Albus.
"I don't either," Gellert assures Mie, as he doesn't care what happens to him, he wants better for Albus than what Mie just described. "Spending time with Albus when I was young was the first time since I was nine where anger wasn't all I felt," Gellert tells Mie. "He gave me gift, he gave me back the ability to feel, I can never make that up to him," Gellert reveals. "And he's given me another one now," Gellert tells Mie, speaking of Albus getting him out of jail, who looks between Albus and Aberforth to make sure that they are actually asleep and not just pretending as she is sure that neither will be a fan of what she is about to say.
"I'm a muggle born, I have proudly called myself a Mudblood and been tortured because of it, I carry those scars with me, even in this time," Mie tells Gellert. "I believe in making our society equal, to eliminate all forms of prejudice, and I will do everything in my power to make that dream a reality," Mie tells Gellert who realises that even though Mie wasn't raised by Albus she has his stubbornness. "Are we going to have a problem?" Mie asks, frankly, as she wants to know now so that she knows what to expect.
"No," Gellert answers and Mie would be lying if she wasn't surprised by that. "I have had a lot of time to think, to analyse what I did and why," Gellert says and from the interested look Mie is giving him, the same look with the same piercing blue eyes that Albus has given him so many times before, he knows he isn't going to get away without explaining. "I still believe that sometimes mayhem and anarchy brings clarity, but I also know the motivations behind ones actions have to be pure, mine weren't," Gellert admits. "I was motivated by pain, and sometimes that can be a good motivation, but I was also motivated by anger," Gellert reveals. "I felt so much anger, experience so much of my father's anger that I allowed that to consume me. I allowed the desire to assure that no one experience what I experienced as a child turn into hate, and the hate grew into something completely removed from where it started without me even realising until I had time to look back," Gellert explains.
"Hate's not easy to let go off," Mie tells Gellert.
"It's not," Gellert confirms. "But I am trying, I have been trying, and I will continue to," Gellert tells Mie, who nods in understanding.
"I'm going to ask you a question, and I don't want a speech, I want a simple, honest answer," Mie says and Gellert nods. "You have a long time to think, to reflect, to analyse as you said, what you've done, what lead you to where you are, do you feel guilty?" Mie asks, needing to know that.
"Yes," Gellert answers simply and for a few moments Mie stares at his face, trying to tell if he is lying to her.
"I know what you mean to Dad, and like I said I know your future so I know the potential you have inside of you," Mie tells Gellert, who is incredibly curious about that but because he figures he will not get an answer he does not ask. "I'm giving you a chance, but unlike my Dad I only give one," Mie tells Gellert.
"I understand," Gellert responds and the two of them drift into silence as an understanding passes between them. While they both have a lot more questions about one another, both realise that it is not the time to explore those questions and so they just sit in their comfortable silence.
For a little while Gellert and Mie sit in silence, as Albus and Aberforth sleep and slowly the light coming through the window behind Gellert goes from being thin rays to being more of the sky. After a while of the sounds of breathing being the only sounds heard Mie and Gellert hear footsteps and as they do Gellert sees Mie search for something, and if he had to guess he would assume she is looking for her wand. Seconds after the first footsteps are heard Regulus walks into the hospital wing and as soon as he looks over, he realises that Mie is awake.
"Mie," Regulus says amazed, hurrying over to him.
"Hi," Mie responds, feeling thrilled to see him.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Regulus says, hugging Mie and then kissing her, a kiss that Mie gladly responds to as, just like she said to Harry, Regulus was one of the things she most wanted to return to. "I love you," Regulus says, as he and Mie break apart, saying the words to Mie for the first time.
"I love you too," Mie responds, knowing that without a doubt after everything that happened even though that scares her, and the two of them kiss once more.
A while after Regulus walked into the hospital wing to find Mie awake, though they aren't aware of that fact, Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Alice, Frank, Amelia, Severus, Marlene, Mary, Dorcus, Emmaline, Edgar, Isaac, Kathleen and Alora are all walking into the great hall and even though they aren't all Gryffindor's they all sit down at the Gryffindor table and no one says anything as the rest of the students are used to it.
"What's first up today?" Marlene asks, as everyone starts to eat.
"Herbology," Emmaline answers.
"It's been months, how do you not know that?" Marry asks, a bemused look on her face.
"Because I've never had to, I just follow the rest of you," Marlene explains, and a few people around the table shake their heads in amused ways.
"So, Double Defence this afternoon, what do you think is going to happen?" Dorcus asks curious.
"Well, considering Professor Dumbledore won't leave the hospital wing I'm going to say that Moody will be teaching," Frank comments.
"Sounds about right," Sirius comments. "I hope he lets us duel again," Sirius says.
"Same," James, Alice, Amelia, Marlene, Severus and Edgar say together, as Minerva walks up to the group.
"Professor?" Lily asks, being the first to see her. "Is everything okay?" Lily asks concerned.
"I have news," Minerva reveals.
"Is it Mie? Is she okay?" Remus asks worried.
"It is, she's awake," Minerva reveals.
"She is?" Alice asks amazed.
"Is she okay?" Amelia asks, needing to know that.
"She is still weak, and Madam Pomfrey says it is going to take her time to fully heal, but she is okay," Minerva explains, and all the seventh years are thrilled about that.
"Can we see her?" James asks, and all the seventh years very much look like they want to go running to the hospital wing.
"Not until tonight, and Madam Pomfrey says that not all of you can visit at once," Minerva explains.
"We understand, thank you for telling us," Lily says and Minerva nods before walking away.
"She's okay," Severus says amazed.
"She's okay," Dorcus confirms and the seventh years continue to eat breakfast.
As the seventh years eat there is more talking and laughter than there has been in the last ten days as they are all thrilled that Mie is awake, thrilled that she is going to be okay. Those who spent time reading the books with Mie are even happier as they all feel that after everything Mie has been though everything she has sacrificed she deserves to have a life in world she is creating.